Sunday Serendipity

Whskyjack — Appalachian Spring is one of my favorites and this performance is very good. But a bit of history this music was originally commissioned in 1944 by Martha Graham for a ballet she was choreographing. It was first performed in 1944. Later in 1959 Graham and her dance troop performed the ballet for TV. So, in addition to the excellent symphonic performance, Youtube’s algorithm , also, gave us a rare treat, the 1959 TV recording of the ballet

Enjoy, Jack

Dancers in this film: The Bride: Martha Graham The Husbandman: Stuart Hodes The Revivalist: Bertram Ross The Pioneer Woman: Matt Turney The Revivalists’ Flock: Yuriko, Helen McGehee, Ethel Winter, Miriam Cole

In 1959 Martha Graham would have been in her 60’s

Film Directed and Photographed by Peter Glushanok, Produced by Nathan Kroll, Presented by WQED Pittsburgh. Filmed in 1959

64 thoughts on “Sunday Serendipity”

  1. thanks Jack. hate to spoil the mood but here’s last night’s Brit SNL cold open:


    #skytv
    Sir Keir gets some help from trusted advisors on how to make a difficult phone call.

  2. about the above in case you missed the announcements last month & 2 weeks ago


    After more than 50 years, “Saturday Night Live” is setting sail across the pond to debut a brand-new British iteration of the comedy sketch series and unveiled the very first cast for “Saturday Night Live U.K.”


    Mar 6, 2026
    SNL UK Official Teaser Released by Sky – First Look at Saturday Night Live’s British Spinoff!

  3. waltzing into spring with Johann Strauss “Frühlingsstimmen” at tulip fields


    according to https://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/blog/classical-pieces-for-spring/

    Written in 1882, “Frühlingsstimmen,” Op. 410 (“Voices of Spring”),[10] is an orchestral waltz dedicated to Alfred Grünfeld. At its premiere, the aria was sung by the well-known soprano Bertha Schwarz (whose stage name was Bianca Bianchi) at a charity show at the Theater an der Wien for the foundation of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth for destitute Austro-Hungarians in Leipzig. However, the piece received much more acclaim in Russia in 1886 when Strauss toured there and especially with the solo piano arrangement that he wrote later. “Frühlingsstimmen” is also sometimes featured as an insertion aria in Strauss’s operetta Die Fledermaus in the ball scene in Act II.

    The waltz begins in a strong-chorded B-flat major key that flows into the sweet, winding melody of the piece. A shift to E-flat major in the second waltz section introduces a flute, reminiscent of a singing bird in a vernal scene. The third section transitions into C minor in a melancholy and dramatic evocation of rain in the springtime, but a joyful theme in A-flat major breaks the wistful mood. Without a coda, the piece comes to a grand finish, with the initial melody reintroduced and followed by a timpani drumroll and brass fanfare. A performance of “Frühlingsstimmen” typically lasts about seven to nine minutes.

    Richard Genée also wrote lyrics to complement the music:
    The lark rises into the blue,
    the mellow wind mildly blowing;
    his lovely mild breath revives
    and kisses the field, the meadow.
    Spring in all its splendour rises,
    ah all hardship is over,
    sorrow becomes milder,
    good expectations,
    the belief in happiness returns;
    sunshine, you warm us,
    ah, all is laughing, oh,oh awakes!

    A fountain of songs is rising,
    who has been silent for too long;
    from the brush sounds clear and light
    the sweet voice again!
    Ah, gently the nightingale lets
    stream the first notes,
    so as not to disturb the queen;
    hush, all you other singers!
    More powerful soon chimes her sweet voice.
    Oh, soon, oh, oh soon!
    Ah……..

    Oh, song of the nightingale, sweet sound, ah yes!
    Glowing with love, ah, ah, ah,
    sounds the song, ah and the sound,
    sweet and cosy, seems to carry a plaintive note,
    ah, ah rocks the heart to sweet dreams,
    ah, ah, ah, ah, most gently!
    Longing and desire
    ah, ah, ah lives in my breast,
    ah, if the song anxiously calls for me,
    from afar the stars twinkle,
    ah, ah in shimmering magic like the moons beam,
    ah, ah, ah, ah wavers trough the valley!
    As haltingly vanishes the night,
    the lark starts to sing,
    ah, the light she promises,
    shadows recede! Ah!

    Ah springs voices sound like home,
    Ah yes, ah yes oh sweet sound,
    Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah yes.

  4. classical music begets classical art
    TRUMP’S SHIP OF FOOLSHIERONYMUS BOSCH

    Attribution: Trump’s Ship of Fools, Hieronymus Bosch by Sean Delonas, Cagle.com/Delonas
    [Sean was the New York Post Page Six cartoonist for almost 23 years and an award-winning painter and illustrator whose work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, television and Broadway. He is a graduate of the New York Academy of Figurative Art. He co-wrote and illustrated SCUTTLE’S BIG WISH with his son, Ryan. He currently works freelance and his cartoons can be seen in Newsmax as well syndication through Daryl Cagle’s Cartoons.]

  5. Craig, did you also sign the letter?
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics

    Alumni of Pam Bondi’s law school threaten to cut off donations if school doesn’t denounce her over Epstein hearing

    Alumni of Stetson University College of Law, where Attorney General Pam Bondi received her law degree, are threatening to cut off donations if the school refuses to denounce her for her handling of the Epstein files, specifically her performance during a recent congressional hearing.
    […]
    Bondi was born in Tampa and earned her law degree in 1990 from Stetson. The private law school is located in Gulfport, along Florida’s Gulf Coast and was founded in 1900. Bondi is one of Stetson’s most famous alumnae and gave the graduation commencement speech in 2013, while she was Florida Attorney General.
    Last month, “nearly 400” Stetson Law alumni, including three former state judges and a former county commissioner, signed a letter to the dean and board of trustees demanding a response from their alma mater regarding Bondi’s handling of the Epstein files, according to a report by the Tampa Bay Times.
    In the letter, the undersigned alumni express their “grave concern about the conduct of one of our most prominent graduates,” saying that it “should be a source of profound pride” to have a Stetson grad who “ascends to the office of the Attorney General of the United States,” but instead this has been “a source of embarrassment and dismay for many within the Stetson Law community.”
    Bondi “has drawn widespread bipartisan criticism” regarding the Epstein files, the letter continued, and her testimony before the House Judiciary Committee “was marked by deflections and a failure to provide clear, substantive answers regarding key decisions about the review process and redactions.”
    The letter quoted substantial sections from the Florida Bar Rules and Oath of Attorney, and criticized how Bondi’s conduct “appears resistant to accountability and is inconsistent with the standards of truthfulness and honor that form the bedrock of our profession.”
    “If our alma mater is to remain true to its values, it cannot remain silent when the conduct of one of its most visible graduates — particularly in the nation’s highest law enforcement office — appears to run counter to those principles,” the letter concluded, calling on the college to “[i]ssue a public statement reaffirming the College of Law’s commitment to ethical legal practice, transparency, and the rule of law,” “[e]xpress formal disapproval of actions by Attorney General Pam Bondi that appear inconsistent with those commitments,” and “[s]upport efforts to ensure that those in positions of legal authority are held to the highest ethical standards, including appropriate congressional oversight that may include impeachment proceedings if warranted under law.”
    According to a report by Bay News 9, the letter was joined by additional Stetson Law alumni over the past month, bringing the total number of signatories to “more than 500.” [continues]

  6. BiD, thanks for bringing this to trail attention. here’s more from:
    https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221108413

    NPR has found dozens of examples of people who said federal officers told them they were committing a crime while peacefully observing immigration activity, which civil rights lawyers say is constitutionally protected behavior.

    Andrew Birrell, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, says he worries that gathering protesters’ DNA could have a chilling effect on free speech.

    “The Court was not imagining a First Amendment situation,” Birrell says. “It’s very concerning to me because what it looks like the government is doing is creating this catalog of political dissidents.”

    DNA tests can reveal information about a person’s ancestry, their risk for developing certain health conditions, and their likelihood of having certain personality traits. The fear, Murphy says, is that all that data could be weaponized – and that extends beyond the risk to a single person.

    the gov goons’ “Catalog of Political Dissidents” is also mentioned by Velshi at 9:12 minutes in on

    Mar 21, 2026 #Trump #ICE #Immigration
    The Trump administration’s purported reset on mass deportation appears aimed at managing optics, not changing policy. Even as it moves out of public view, enforcement is expanding in scale, according to analysis by The New York Times. As ICE operations shift out of the spotlight, critics warn the effort is reaching deeper into vulnerable communities and raising new concerns about civil liberties.

  7. A Russian oil tanker barrels toward a U.S. naval blockade while ten million Cubans sit in the dark. We outline the geopolitical standoff nobody asked for. Watch the crisis summary. More on the plate today at The Digital Diner.

  8. Really wonderful music this morning, and dancing. Speaking of dancing, in the NCAA big dance, out of the 36,000+ brackets submitted at ESPN there are, after Texas’ upset of Gonzaga yesterday, only two perfect brackets still remaining.

    What a day is on tap here today. The high is supposed to be 80° plus, sunny too partly cloudy all day, with thunderstorms tonight after dark. Time to get LP and give a haircut to the ornamental grasses in the backyard so the new ones can come out now that the world‘s warming up.

  9. PatD, heck I helped write the letter. But i want her degree revoked too. Guess that’s a stretch.

    Jack, good news — the martha graham version got through the YouTube copyright magnetometer, can play it in the diner today.

  10. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Our daily Digital Diner podcast airs 11-Noon ET on YouTube. JOIN chatroom here. WATCH yesterday’s replay here

    What America is Actually Clicking: March 22, 2026

    1. National: Robert Mueller, former FBI director who led the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation, dies at 81 – CBS News
    2. Sports: NCAA accuses DraftKings of “March Madness” trademark infringement and asks court for an emergency restraining order – CBS News
    3. World: Cuba’s power grid collapses entirely, leaving the island without electricity for the third time this month – AP News
    4. Politics: Trump issues contradictory messages on the Iran conflict, suggesting a wind-down while threatening escalating strikes – AP News
    5. Health: Transplant Games of America brings an Olympic-style competition to Denver to celebrate the impact of organ donation – CBS News
    6. Economy: [Ongoing] Iran war underscores the economic risks and consumer costs of the administration’s relentless focus on fossil fuels – AP News
    7. Offbeat: Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis partners with Home Chef to launch a new line of limited-edition meal kits – NBC News
    8. Politics: [Ongoing] Meet the deciders: A deep dive into the pivotal voters defining America’s political landscape in key swing counties – Reuters
    9. Environment: [Ongoing] Pennsylvania’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions continue to meet severe legislative and legal challenges – WITF
    10. Environment: [Ongoing] The contentious fight over Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative remains heavily polarized – NPR

    These are the stories driving the most traffic across U.S. outlets right now—not necessarily the stories we think you should read, and not always the most recent.

    A roundup by our AI partner Silas (Gemini).

  11. ON TODAY’S DINER: Trump’s ICE Airport Plan & The Cuban Crude Showdown

    A Russian oil tanker heads for a blockaded Cuba while ICE agents prepare to run airport security. Plus, the GOP’s BBQ war.

    The Cuban Crude Crisis is heating up. We’ve got a Russian tanker, the Anatoly Kalachnikov, barreling toward a US Coast Guard blockade with 730,000 barrels of oil, and 10 million Cubans sitting in the dark waiting to see who blinks first—Putin or Trump. It’s a high-stakes standoff that could keep the island powered for a couple of weeks, and naturally, Silas and I are the only ones tracking it before the mainstream media catches on.

    Meanwhile, back home, the administration has decided to fix the TSA by having ICE agents take over airport security. Tom Homan found out about his new gig the same way the rest of us did: via an early morning social media post. Because nothing says efficiency like putting immigration agents in charge of scanning your carry-on for oversized liquids while they try to build the plane in the air.

    We also dissect the GOP’s desperate smear campaign against Texas Democrat James Talarico—falsely accusing him of the cardinal Texas sin of veganism—and reminisce about the time I used to brief Jimmy Carter in the Cabinet Room before Bill Casey and the CIA decided to rewrite the 1980 election.

    Live Chat: https://trailmix.cc/chat
    Alerts: https://trailmix.cc/alerts

    00:00 Intro: The Cuban Crude Crisis
    01:46 ICE Takes Over Airport Security
    10:52 Lindsey Graham’s Daddy Issues
    13:09 Jimmy Carter & CIA Election Interference
    19:42 Walkabout Movie Review & Lana Del Rey
    25:07 Trump’s Blockade & Cuban Blackouts
    44:42 James Talarico Battles Fox News
    49:22 The Save Act & Voter Suppression
    58:45 Outro: Appalachian Spring

  12. A MAGA troll demands answers about tampons in boys’ bathrooms. Anon deploys brutal wit, while Katie eases the blow with practical thoughts about visiting volleyball teams.

    Watch this clip from today’s Digital Diner.

  13. Which is he more full of, hatred… or bullshit?

    Now with the death of Iran, the greatest enemy America has is the Radical Left, Highly Incompetent, Democrat Party!”

    — President Trump, on Truth Social.

  14. This is one of my favorite valets, set to the music of Phillip Glass: Glass Pieces

    Jack – Thanks for the addition of the dances this month.

  15. anon, more on that brit’s SNL cold open posted earlier:

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/

    Donald Trump reposts ‘SNL UK’ sketch with PM leaving voice note

    President Trump didn’t seem to care that “Saturday Night Live U.K.’s” first-ever opening sketch was spoofing him, since he posted the segment on his Truth Social account Sunday morning with no comment.
    As Tina Fey noted in her opening monologue, more than a few American viewers had to work a little to fully comprehend the mix of British accents and unfamiliar cultural references in the new spin-off.
    Taking a page from the American show’s custom of opening with a politically-themed sketch, George Fouracres played U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer trying to break the news to U.S. President Donald Trump that he doesn’t want to join the war in Iran. Fouracres, as Starmer, opened the skit sitting
    at his desk with a framed photo of Trump behind him. As the phone rings, he asks, “Oh, golly! What if Donald shouts at me? What do I say?” speaking to an adviser played by Hammed Animashaun. “Just be yourself, prime minister!” the adviser says. “Yourself is who everyone likes.”
    Starmer (who has been described in the British press as a “jellyfish” and “doormat”), immediately hangs up when Trump answers the phone, lamenting: “Oh, sod that scary, scary wonderful president. Why is he so blubber difficult to talk to?”
    Starmer’s new Gen Z adviser (played by Jack Shep) appears, calling him “Starmzy,” a play on the U.K. rapper Stormzy.
    The Gen Z adviser advises that Starmer should send him a voice note instead of trying to talk with Trump on the phone. Fouracres as Starmer replies: “I’ll try anything, I’ll do anything. Except take a stand.”
    “Hi, Donald. I’m afraid I can’t go to war with you, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t be chums,” Fouracres says. “America and Britain have a long, proud tradition of cooperation and nothing can take that away. Remember the good times. Remember D-Day? Remember Live Aid? Remember Iraq? The first week and none of the rest. Remember Helen Baxterdale on ‘Friends’? Remember Hugh Laurie on ‘Friends’? Remember the episode of ‘Friends’ where they all came to London?”
    He continues: “But most importantly, remember the one where Ross and Rachel were on a break? I think that’s perhaps what we need. Not forever, just until you’ve got all this war out of your system. We want different things. I know how badly you want to start World War III, and that’s great. You absolutely do that but we can’t be part of it. You can, however, use the naval bases whenever you want.”
    Starmer’s adviser congratulates him and says, “Good work, sir. You did the bare minimum, and that’s all people expect from you.”

  16. Next Saturday will be sunny & cool for NO KINGS. Marches do let folks know they are not alone & that some aren’t afraid to speak up.

    Here’s the thing: We need a prolonged strike & the Republican-induced TSA debacle was (maybe still is) the perfect time to strike.

    Pilots and flight attendants belong to unions. They have a reason to strike; safety. Why didn’t they do it weeks ago?

    Monday, Dumbass claimed paramilitary goons will be telling folks to empty their pockets into trays. Will they steal stuff? N&zis will be patting folks down. Will they grope?

    They won’t be able to tackle and punch folks, so it’s going to be boring duty for them.

    If they were to be their old, violent selves, it would cause widespread outrage; the level of outrage that should’ve been present from day one.

    *Left messages for three Senators re: getting pilots & flight attendants unions to strike. Thune sounded like a rapey, frat boy; you will say yes. Creep.

  17. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/22/homan-confirms-ice-airports-monday-00839426

    Tom Homan confirms ICE to be at airports starting Monday

    The border czar said he is discussing plans to deploy immigration agents to airports around the nation as the partial government shutdown continues.

    *The optics of this are going to be terrible for Republicans, for the US, even if the goons behave themselves.

    I was in NYC for Independence Day in 2003, and there were troops/officers with dogs and assault rifles on the streets, in the train station, and at the entrances to view fireworks across the river (most streets were closed). It was a lot to take in, but overrunning airports with N&zis is a wild move.

  18. Dodo suffers from The Imposter Syndrome. In his case, he’s right for once in his life. He’s a fucking imposter.

  19. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/22/homan-confirms-ice-airports-monday-00839426

    Homan on Sunday said DHS should send agents to locations with the longest wait times.
    “I don’t see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine because they’re not trained in that, but there are certain parts of security that TSA is doing that we can move them off those jobs and put them into specialized jobs, help move those lines,” Homan said.

    *Schell!

    ***

    https://abcnews.com/Politics/transportation-secretary-duffy-ice-agents-trained-assist-tsa/story

    Transportation Secretary Duffy says ICE agents are trained and can assist TSA at airports

    *Who’s correct, MushMouth or Secretary Road Rules?

  20. NBC blamed the government shutdown on Democrats. FFS! Why not frame it as Republicans refusing to work with Democrats to make ICE goons follow the US Constitution and not violate human rights?

  21. @realDonald Trump

    Now with the death of Iran, the greatest enemy America has is the Radical Left, Highly Incompetent, Democrat Party!
    Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT
    3/22/26, 8:24 AM

    *So, it goes Iran, Democrats, and then China, I suppose.

  22. Texas accepts some Islamic schools into voucher program after lawsuits

    Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law in 2025, which authorized the creation of a statewide program that allows families to use public funds to pay for their children’s private school or home-school education.

    Between Feb. 4 and March 31, virtually any family with school-age children in Texas can apply to participate. A lottery will determine who can receive the funds, pending their acceptance to a private school. Private schools interested in joining the program can apply on a rolling basis, as long as they have existed for at least two years and received accreditation.

    More than 200,000 students have applied, while more than 2,200 private schools have been accepted.

    The Texas comptroller has accepted several Islamic private schools into the state’s voucher program after the institutions sued to gain admittance.

    Four Muslim parents and three Islamic private school providers that operate four campuses had sued Texas leaders for excluding the schools while accepting hundreds of other non-Islamic schools.

    *Why do I doubt Texas will have any Islamic lottery winners?

  23. I worked in Jimmy Carter’s White House. Let me tell you exactly how the CIA and Bill Casey derailed the 1980 election to install Ronald Reagan. Spoiler Alert: Iran is involved History rarely forgives the truth.
    From today’s Digital Diner menu 🍽️

  24. just made so many no-dig beds!

    weeks of work in a day 👍

    one day of hard work though, full disclosure

  25. When ole Dumbass starts spitballing this it’s tough to tell.
    Is he::
    — signalling readiness to give in on the funding debate
    — adding conditions to blow up a deal
    — having another narcissistic collapse as reality crashes in

    Donald J. Trump
    @realDonaldTrump
    I don’t think we should make any deal with the Crazy, Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats unless, and until, they Vote with Republicans to pass “THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.” It is far more important than anything else we are doing in the Senate, and that includes giving these same terrible people, the Dems (who are to blame for this mess!), a Five Billion Dollar cut in ICE funding, a deal which, even when disguised as something else, is unacceptable to me and the American people – UNLESS it includes their approval of Voter I.D., (with picture!), Citizenship to Vote, No Mail-In Voting (with exceptions), All Paper Ballots, No Men In Women’s Sports, and No Transgender MUTILIZATION of our precious children. Put it all together, and also, let Leader Thune clearly identify those few “Republicans” that are Voting against AMERICA. They will never be elected again! In other words, lump everything together as one, and VOTE!!! Kill the Filibuster, and stay in D.C. for Easter, if necessary. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT
    Mar 22, 2026, 8:31 PM

  26. looks like a naked ultimatum to me

    he is proficient at leveraging fear to keep the ranks together, Dems don’t have that power

  27. well him keeping everything so taut is an advantage for libDems

    shit’s gotta snap eventually, the way he plays it

    or maybe his incredible luck at avoiding consequences lasts forever 🤷‍♂️

  28. he loses that power by the way when the kooks stop sending death threats on his behalf, based on his veiled directives

    Maybe his vanity war will lead to that

    The actual mechanic is that he identifies a persona non grata and then the MAGA influencers encourage their audiences to harass and intimidate, it’s very mafia-esque ofc

    Look he even says it:

    “let Leader Thune clearly identify those few “Republicans” that are Voting against AMERICA”

    The implication being

    “so you assholes can do something about it and I can keep my hands clean”

    in fact

    “let leader Thune do it so there is even more deniability for me and more culpability for him”

    The Family had a lot of buffahs

  29. Ah, but who are these threatening kooks?
    Are there actual threats every time someone claims there are, or is that just a convenient lie for voting the way you said you wouldn’t?
    Is Kashewnut investigating these threats?
    Has anyone been charged with making threats?
    Don’t they just do the deed, like with Epstein, Ivanka, Charlie Kirk…?

  30. https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/pickleball/pickleball-tragedy-charlie-kirks-mentor-dies-after-fall-article-153889077

    Jeff Webb, widely regarded as the father of modern competitive cheerleading, has died at the age of 76 after suffering a severe head injury following a fall while playing pickleball.

    Webb began his journey as a yell leader at the University of Oklahoma and later worked with the National Cheerleaders Association before founding the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 1974, which would become part of Varsity Spirit.

    Beyond sport, Webb was involved in conservative media and was considered a mentor to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Following Kirk’s death, which was widely described in the media as an assassination, Webb spoke about his impact. “We may have lost a future president. Charlie Kirk had it all—charisma, faith, respect for everyone… Now, in his absence, tens of thousands of new chapters are rising. His legacy is just beginning,” Webb told Real America’s Voice.

    Webb was also present at the White House when Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

    Webb had sustained a serious head injury in the accident. He was later hospitalised with severe trauma before his family decided to remove him from life support, according to the report.

    “Jeff played a pivotal role in shaping cheerleading as it exists today and in building a community that has impacted generations of athletes, coaches, and teams,” the spokesperson said.

    *Hmmm, another one taken down in a fall. Did Charlie confide in him about the intervention staged by pro-Israel donors right before he was killed? And, a cheerleading organization full of girls and boys. Off I go, down a rabbit hole.

  31. The Dark Side of Cheerleading: New York Times Investigates Varsity Spirit

    The Dark Side of Cheerleading: New York Times Investigates Varsity Spirit

    Jeff Webb, the founder of Varsity Spirit, began his journey as a member of his high school cheer team. He was later hired by Lawrence Herkimer, known as the “father of cheerleading” and founder of the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA), to work as a camp instructor.

    The article likens Webb’s influence to a scenario where the inventor of basketball not only held camps but also owned Nike, hosted the NBA Finals, commentated on games, and ran USA Basketball.

    A concerning trend in the cheerleading community is a reported culture of silence regarding allegations of abuse.

    An investigative series by USA Today has uncovered nearly 180 allegations of sexual misconduct in cheerleading – many involving Varsity Spirit and the USASF, which have been accused of failing to take appropriate action against offenders.

    Multiple lawsuits have been filed as a result. For ongoing coverage of these issues, be sure to check our newsletter’s “Lawsuits & Investigations” section, where we keep you informed about various cases and developments.

    *Well, that didn’t take long.

  32. https://www.wyff4.com/article/amended-lawsuit-makes-it-clear-that-abuse-was-reported-to-law-enforcement-attorneys-say/41236163

    “Meanwhile, as the Rockstar Cheer Abuse Scandal continues to deepen, Varsity Spirit and the U.S. All-Star Federation continues to announce new events”, attorneys said.

    We’re talking about serious repeated abuse that was reported to everyone, including the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department,” said Sellers. “For Varsity Spirit, the USASF and Bain Capital, these survivors didn’t matter. Their checks did. They did nothing to stop this abuse then and they’re doing nothing now.”

    According to the attorneys, the amended lawsuit details “abuse by multiple coaches and includes several instances where athletes were transported across state lines and abused at events sanctioned by Varsity Spirit and the USASF”.

    Both Varsity Spirit and USASF have ignored repeated calls to launch a comprehensive investigation into their competitive environment and how this abuse could have occurred, attorneys said.

    “Imagine the courage it takes for a rape survivor to report her abuse,” said Fickling. “And how did Varsity Spirit and the USASF reward that courage? They dismissed her, called her a liar and told her she should find another gym. For the defendants, the almighty dollar was far more valuable than the future of these athletes”

    According to the attorneys, to date, Varsity Spirit, the USASF and Bain Capital have continued to operate as usual without instituting any safety reforms to protect athletes from physical, mental and sexual abuse even scheduling new events as the growing scandal gains national prominence.

    “We’re looking at abuse that dates back two decades or more all across this nation,” said Benevento who confirms that additional lawsuits are coming which will name new perpetrators and gyms in various jurisdictions across the country. “It’s impossible that Varsity Spirit, the USASF and Bain Capital didn’t know it was happening. We want to give safety back to these athletes and make sure this never happens again.”

  33. https://www.sportico.com/law/news/2025/ghislaine-maxwell-epstein-riddell-varsity-brands-1234868109/

    Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein now serving a 20-year prison sentence for child sex trafficking, told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last month that she believed Epstein once owned Riddell, the football helmet manufacturer.

    In reality, Epstein never owned Riddell outright. However, he was a key investor in the company during the late 1980s and early 1990s…

    Epstein’s investment in Riddell corresponded with Robert Nederlander Sr.—the Broadway theater magnate and Yankees minority owner—becoming the company’s CEO and chairman in April 1988. Nederlander had led a group of investors to acquire the company from MacGregor Sporting Goods Inc. for $30 million. According to a 2003 Vanity Fair article, Epstein put $1.8 million toward the venture and later disclosed the value of his investment during a legal dispute with the Manhattan landlord of his office space.

    Epstein’s name surfaces again in a 1997 SEC registration statement filed by Varsity Spirit, the cheerleading apparel company founded by Jeff Webb, which Riddell acquired for $91 million. Varsity Spirit bought Riddell after Epstein’s involvement with the company, and Epstein’s investment did not overlap with the Varsity Spirit purchase overseen by Webb.

    Following the Varsity acquisition, Webb was named vice chairman of Riddell’s board and COO of its newly formed cheerleading division.

    “I have no insight into his involvement with Riddell prior to Varsity. They were a separate company,” Webb said in a written statement provided by a spokesperson. “I never met, knew, or interacted with him in any way, and to my knowledge he had no involvement in the company during or after the merger.”

  34. https://x.com/Eng_china5/status/2035673570001687023

    @Eng_china5 x.com
    BREAKING NEWS:

    Japan has agreed to pay Iran in Chinese yuan in exchange for the unhindered passage of its ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

    It appears that all countries wishing for their ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz may be required to pay Iran in yuan.

    *Donny Dumbass strikes, again.

  35. How do we know terrorists from other countries aren’t dressing up like ICE N&zis to infiltrate airports and access planes?

    How do we know ICE won’t use the opportunity of being there to create an event? Is this their new false flag idea, since everyone had sussed out drones over Cali in less than a minute?

  36. https://fortune.com/2026/03/22/trump-border-czar-tom-homan-ice-agents-guard-exits-check-id-airport-screening-long-lines/

    Trump’s border czar says ICE agents could guard exits and check IDs at airport screening areas

    “ICE agents are assigned at many airports across the country already. They do a lot of investigation, criminal investigation on smuggling at airports,” Homan said, adding that “certainly, a highly trained ICE law enforcement officer can cover an exit and makes sure people don’t go through those exits, entering the airport through the exits. And stuff like that relieves that TSA officer to go to screening and to reduce those lines.”

    Another option, he said, was having ICE agents check identification before people enter screenings areas.

    *Ya know how the new hires have to make it 5 years to get the full $50k bonus? Standing on their feet at a booth all day might make some of them tap out. Make sure nobody goes in the out. Ha! Don’t we already have locks and alarms?

  37. Swallwell spoke recently in some hearing about himself and his family being harassed with death threats after trump focused MAGA ire at him

    plenty of similar stories on record

  38. OK, so that was one of my questions.
    Is the FBI (or anyone) tracking them down? Like, isn’t surveillance and traceability a big thing with this regime?

  39. is Patel’s FBI investigating threats against Dems? idk but i would guess not

    against GOPs? once again i would guess not, but for a different reason

    Patel is dating his GF and crashing parties, who knows wtf his FBI is doing

  40. “ the president has inspired death threats against me and many sitting up here with me (other members of Congress)” -Swalwell

  41. your FBI Director literally did a beerbong on the job

    knowingly on camera

    “are they investigating?” she asks.

  42. they couldn’t find the kirk shooter and he was on 10 different cameras

    Still haven’t found Nancy Guthrie’s mom

    I think they might not be good at their jobs

    pretty sure there’s another botched Patel investigation I’m not remembering

  43. Ilhan Omar and AOC get constant threats and have shared them

    i think even Lady G was getting them after J6 and now look at him

    Speculation that the Pennsylvania oaf is getting them also, hence his acquiescence

    Ted Lieu has shared threats against him, Murkowski implied she and her GOP peers got them

    ok ✌️ ⚖️ 🇺🇸

  44. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/air-canada-express-plane-hits-043222129.html

    Air Canada Express jet hits ground vehicle, closing New York’s LaGuardia airport

    The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for all planes at the airport ⁠until 0530 GMT, according to a notice from the regulator.

    The FAA notice showed that the reason for the halt at the ​airport was ​an emergency and there was ​a high probability of an ‌extension, without specifying any details.

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